Treatment to panic disorder and agoraphobia

Medications

 Benzodiazepines
 Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
 Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
 Tricyclic Antidepressants

Psychological Intervention

 Exposure-based treatments that help the patient gradually learn to cope with feared
circumstances
 A convincing emotional outcome is also achieved by "reality testing" the situation and
confirming that nothing dangerous takes place
 Gradual exposure exercises, often combined with anxiety-reducing methods such as
relaxation or breathing exercises
 Panic control treatment (PCT) - exposing panic disorder patients to interoceptive (physical)
sensations that trigger their panic attacks. This treatment increases the patients' heart rates
by exercising or spinning them in a chair to induce "mini" panic attacks
 Booster sessions intended to counteract disorder recurrence and prevent relapses

Other treatments

 Increase the ability of patients to retain prefrontal control over the brainstem by increasing
their vagal control over the heart, especially during the crucial transition period between
post-encounter and circa strike defense

References

Richter, J., Pietzner, A., Koenig, J., Thayer, J. F., Pané-Farré, C. A., Gerlach, A. L., Gloster, A. T.,
Wittchen, H.-U., Lang, T., Alpers, G. W., Helbig-Lang, S., Deckert, J., Fydrich, T., Fehm, L., Ströhle, A.,
Kircher, T., Arolt, V., & Hamm, A. O. (2021). Vagal control of the heart decreases during increasing
imminence of interoceptive threat in patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia. Scientific
Reports, 11(1), 7960. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86867-y

Rudy, M. (2018, August 16). Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia. Healthline

https://www.healthline.com/health/panic-disorder-with-agoraphobia.